Darcia Malfoy-Of Ashes and Embers
by wintersolstice88
Summary: A mysterious sickness is working its way through the wizarding world, robbing young witches and wizards of their magic And there are rumours, of a curse. But that doesn't concern Darcia Malfoy. She has other things to worry about. Like being sorted into Slytherin, passing potions and upholding the family honour. And boys. No. Not boys. She wasn't thinking of boys, at all. Honest.


Darcia Malfoy: Of Ashes and Embers

Waiting tentatively on the platform, clutching her luggage in one hand and her owls' cage in the other, you would be forgiven for thinking that Darcia was of no relation to the wirey, blonde woman who was stood beside her. For assuming her to be the child of one of the other parents who had come to see their children off to Hogwarts on that cold September morning. Parents whom excitedly kerfuffle-d about, fixing their childs' robes and fussing over their rambunctiousness ('Oh just let the chocolate frog go Jerry! Look! You nearly knocked over your poor old granny there!').

The blonde woman was busy fixing a prefect badge to the wizarding robes of her son Scorpious, 'This is your final year son, I know you'll make your father and I proud'. It was more of an order than a statement. She then turned to Darcia, her eyes tracing her daughter slowly and coming to rest on her long dark hair. 'I'll send your owl along when it gets back from your fathers work' she said, and then, apparently drawing her conclusions on her daughters' appearance, Mrs Malfoy let out a disapproving sniff, pivoted on her heel and exited through platform nine and three quarters without so much as a 'goodbye'.

Brother and sister stood silently side by side for a moment longer, lost in their own thoughts. Then, headed for separate ends of the Hogwarts express.

Darcia Malfoy found an empty cabin on the train and plonked her luggage down under the table, hoping no one would join her. She didn't feel much like socialising. Honestly, she never felt much like socialising. Least of all with other children. Children were so loud and boisterous - perpetually the cause of drama and in need of constant validation from everyone around them. . She opened her case and took out the new volume of _'Wand Free Magic (and sorta-magic) for the millennial age' _by Hammerhead and Sands and began to haphazardly scan the pages. Using her most recently learned _'flick of the index finger upwards and in the direction you wish to turn to' _she moved on from chapter 2: _'Reading for the lazy lady'_ to chapter 3: '_Claiming your personal space, the hands free_ way', she had a feeling that this too, might come in very useful indeed.

There was a time where having a compartment to oneself on the Hogwarts express would have been challenging, but the number of students had declined in recent years due to, 'a right rotten thing that happened' second year Harvey Almanac was saying to two companions as they entered through the cabin door. 'A few years back a magical illness started to spread through though the wizarding community, turning kids all…' he searched for the word whilst gesturing his hands rather haphazardly '…squibish' he ultimately summarised. Harvey was a blonde boy with a visage it might be said of that 'one could grow into'. He reminded Darcia of a hamster.

'Squibish?' squeeked the girl with bright pink hair and equally bright purple glasses. 'Yeah, no magic you know – Oh hey, I'm Harvey! This is Edina ('Call me De!') and…Clarabell was it?', Harvey took a seat by the window. 'Zarabell' corrected the third member of the trio, a tall girl with black hair and eyes which were an unusual auburn sort of colour and rather sunken. She didn't appear as interested in Harveys news as Edina, nor did she pay much attention to the carriage's prior inhabitant. Infact, upon taking her seat next to Harvey, she promptly closed her eyes and began to doze.

'Darcia', the reply came somewhat begrudgingly. 'Hey. You're a first year yeah? Know what house you want to be in?'. Darcia slowly nodded her head but didn't answer the question. '…Right. Well, anyway, I was going to show De this article that came out this morning'. He rummaged through his pockets, taking out: a broken chocolate biscuit, a pencil sharpener and a pen (that judging by the ink now all over his hands, he had at some point tried to sharpen with the pencil sharpener). Before finally drawing out a crumpled newspaper page. He placed it on the table and smoothed it out using his sleeve.

'**The muggeling': Ministry still mystified**

A joyful and exciting day for many, September 23rd has long since been the start of a new term at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. A time for new adventures to begin and hopes for the future to blossom. Alas, for some, the date marks a morose and sorrowful event. Indeed, today marks almost five years to the day that the first victims came down with the heart-breaking de-magic-ifying disease that has come to be known as 'the muggeling'

The-muggeling has to this date struck 37 young witches and wizards from all over Europe, all before their tenth birthday, taking away all magical powers and with them, hopes for a future in the wizarding world. Studies have shown that it is much more common in children of muggles and half-muggle lineage and in third and fourth-born children. However, to this date, little has been discovered about the origin and cause of this disease. Some, have argued that there may be a hormonal or genetic reason for the particular preference in victims that the disease seems to have. Others, have even speculated that it might not be a disease at all - but a curse (A speculation that the ministry has been quick to dismiss as 'unfounded fearmongering').

Today the daily profit has exclusive comment from Juliet Moore (14) who was one of the first youths to come down with the muggeling. She had this to say:

''_I was just days away from turning ten when I got sick. It was like a cold at first and then it passed and that was it, my parents didn't think…(_much more of it_). I'd had my name down for Hogwarts since I was six. My dad had magical abilities but he wasn't sure he would pass them on to me. He just wanted me to be a happy, healthy kid. But it was obvious pretty early that I had magic._ _Until…until I just didn't. It was my mother that noticed it first, I guess mothers notice the little things, or lack of them. They took me for tests - but it was just gone._

_I'd spent my whole life looking forwards to Hogwarts, I assumed I was destined for Ravenclaw like my father but…for the past 4 years I've attended a muggle school instead. It's hard. It hurts knowing that the future I was supposed to have has been taken from me, I never really feel like I fit in in my muggle high school. But, I am trying to make the best of things, it's all I can do. I just really hope the Ministry find a cure soon. So that no other young witches or wizards have to go through the same things I have''._

We here at the Daily Profit, echo Juliets' wish. Minister for magic Ms Jupiter st Clare was today, unavailable for comment**. **

**Jonathon Hardgrave, the Daily Prophet.**

'Old news really though isn't it?' remarked Darcia, when the other two looked up from the article. This didn't seem to go down very well. 'Well that was harsh' said Edina eventually, 'Anyway - I didn't know anything about it'. 'How could you not know anything about it? It's been all over the news for years!' came the response, '-Yeah well, my parents are muggles so they don't buy these newspapers' defended Edina.

There was a pause, 'Ah, I see, that explains it then'. Did she detect some distaste in that reply? Edina wasn't sure. She also didn't know if Zarabell was just pretending to be asleep or not, but concluded that either way - she had probably had the right idea. And so, Edina feigned a yawn, 'I think I'm going to take a nap too. Wake me up when we get there!' and left Harvey and Darcia to what seemed behind her closed eyes, to be an uncomfortable silence, for the remainder of the journey.


End file.
